An Elegant Magic
by aquaesulis
Summary: SS/OC The sequel to Sought. **NOW COMPLETE** Charlotte and Severus are dragged into another adventure, courtesy of Ron Weasley.
1. Chapter 1

An Elegant Magic

(The sequel to Sought)

The usual shtick – Harry Potter and his universe belong to JK Rowling, Charlotte belongs to me. I'm just here for the food. (Translation: don't sue me!)

_I'm bound by these choices so hard to make_

_I'm bound by the feeling so easy to fake_

_None of this is real_

_Enough to take me away from you_

_O I've got reservations_

_About_

_So many things_

_But_

_Not about you_

_- Wilco "Reservations"_

Charlotte Parnell, one time English Lit doctoral student and former Muggle, made her way down to the dungeons of Hogwarts Castle without any of the trepidation that accompanied most who had trod the path before her. An invisible bell sounded through the corridor and suddenly she was wading upstream against a sea of sixth year students escaping the horror that was double Potions. Charlotte stepped into the offending classroom. The Potions Master was not immediately visible, but three young faces looked up at her hoping for a reprieve.

            "Hello Harry, Ron, Hermione," she said cheerfully.

            "Good afternoon Professor Parnell," they chorused and quickly returned to their work as Professor Snape joined them at the cauldron.

            "May I help you, Professor?" he asked with a sneer.

            Charlotte suppressed a grin. "I just came to return this book, Professor," she said, handing him a leather bound tome. "It was most helpful." Snape inclined his head slightly and moved off to reshelve the volume. "So what are you guys in for?" she asked the trio, taking a seat on one of the lab tables. Hermione winced at this improper behavior but the boys grinned and explained that Snape had made them stay behind because Harry and Ron had botched the day's potion. "Why are you here then Hermione?" The girl flushed and Ron answered for her.

"'Mione was trying to help us save the potion, so Sn- the professor said she had to stay with us and if she offered a word of advice he'd give her detention." 

Charlotte fought the urge to laugh. "You guys have had Potions for six years now; don't you think you could figure out how to avoid trouble?" 

The boy's sheepish response was halted by the looming figure of the Potions Master himself. "If you do not mind, Professor, Potter and Weasley have a great deal of work to do." 

Charlotte sketched a salute and slid off the table. "He isn't very fond of my American style," she whispered conspiratorially to the boys. "See you in class Hermione."  As she walked past Snape's desk she gave him a wink and an impish smile which was answered with a fierce glare. Charlotte was unperturbed and left the dungeons with a spring in her step. 

She made her way through the twists and turns of the castle once again marveling at the strange series of events that had comprised the past year of her life. After acquiring Lucius Malfoy as an enemy, she had been taken in by Headmaster Dumbledore and taught the basics of being a witch. They had tricked Lucius into capturing her and then escaped with the help of an ex-convict and a werewolf. Shortly after she had the delicious pleasure of punching Malfoy in the nose, the Ministry of Magic had held a hearing. Sufficient evidence was not found to convict him of associating with the Dark Lord Voldemort, but Lucius was found guilty of 'conduct unbecoming a wizard' and shipped of to Azkaban. His parting words as he was dragged from the court room still rung in her ears. "This is not the end, mudblood! You will live to regret meddling in my affairs!" Charlotte shivered at the memory and touched the long pale scar on her left arm, a reminder of her short stay at Chateau Malfoy. Following the hearing, Professor Secus took advantage of another Muggle expert at the school to declare his well deserved retirement. Dumbledore offered Charlotte the post of Professor of Muggle Studies which she accepted without hesitation. She had also been offered a place at Sortilege College at Oxford, but with some assistance from Dumbledore she was able to take all her courses by owl correspondence and remain at Hogwarts. All concerned agreed that it was best to remain in the safe shadow of the school. Voldemort's operations had been seriously hindered by the loss of Malfoy and Charlotte had quickly earned a top place on the Dark Lord's kill list. He was waiting to free Malfoy before taking action, but the day would soon come when Voldemort would ask Snape to bring Charlotte to him. She sighed, _Snape. Now that's another matter entirely._

Half an hour or so after she had returned to her rooms there was a loud noise from the fireplace. The small blaze turned green and Professor Snape stepped into the room.

"Charlotte," he said without preamble, "I think you delight in provoking me."

The girl laughed. "You know I do. But I think you delight in being mean and nasty to me."

The potions master did his best to look innocent. "I take no pleasure in it at all, I assure you. I do have a reputation to maintain as the most horrible professor at Hogwarts."

Charlotte rolled her eyes and leaned in to kiss Snape, a gesture that was heartily reciprocated. She could only imagine the reactions of Harry, Ron and Hermione if they were witness to such a scene. Indeed, if someone had told her she would be willingly kissing Severus Snape only a few months after her arrival at Hogwarts she would have laughed in their faces. But beneath the impassive and caustic exterior she had found something unexpected: a passionate soul, intelligent and loyal. He was amazing, easily the smartest man she had ever met and the best research assistant she could ask for. When she had accepted the place at Sortilege she had not expected him to be interested in her chosen field of specialization, Muggle Studies, and more specifically perceptions of magic in English Muggle literature, but he had surprised her again, helping her brave the restricted section at the Bodleian, discussing the implications of modern 'toned-down' fairy tales, and generally serving as taskmaster when she would rather not be productive. It wasn't perfect, not all of their fighting was a production for the benefit of the school, and there was the minor matter of her being a mudblood and him a Death Eater double agent, but on the whole she was very happy.

On a blustery evening in November Charlotte once again made her way to the dungeons. Familiarity had not endeared her to Floo travel, she preferred to walk or Apparate when away from school. Since Narcissa Malfoy had pulled Draco out of Hogwarts faster than you could say Slytherin after Lucius' hearing there was no one actively spying on her and Snape, it was relatively safe for her to make the journey on foot after hours. Passing by the Potions Classroom, she saw that the door was open. _Odd, unless…. Looking in she saw two unlucky souls who had managed to acquire a detention from the formidable master of potions. Not surprisingly, it was Harry and Ron. They were slaving away at one of the larger cauldrons, obviously preparing a batch of something unpleasant for the infirmary stores, one of Severus' favorite detention tasks. The man himself was seated at his desk, grading papers and occasionally making snarky comments about the quality of work he was seeing from the boys. With the heightened teacher senses Charlotte had yet to acquire he whipped around to look at her. His expression altered fractionally, but it was enough to make several of her internal organs do loop de loops._

"Yes Professor?"

Charlotte schooled her features carefully. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Professor Snape, might I have a word with you?"

With a long suffering sigh, he indicated she should precede him into the store room. Once the door had been pushed to, she said "I didn't know you had a detention tonight."

"I did mention it to you. I caught Potter and Weasley skulking around the library last night."

"Ah. It must have slipped my mind."

"I should know better than to tell you anything at breakfast. By lunch you have completely forgotten."

"You're not exactly a morning person yourself, you know," she shot back with a glare that he ignored, "Well, I guess I'll see you later. Oh, I did get chapter 5 back from Professor Scolere with nary a red mark on it." She smiled brightly

"I should think not, with the number of times you made me proof read it." She stuck her tongue out at him, a gesture that he found annoyingly endearing. He ran a gentle hand over her hair. "Assuming that I am not kept in the classroom all night, I will stop by later." She nodded. There was a noise like a small explosion from the classroom and they rushed to the door. Harry and Ron stood with horrified expressions in front of the large cauldron which was glowing with a bright blue light.

"Step away from the cauldron," Snape snapped. Harry instantly complied but Ron paused to grab his wand from the table. At that moment there was a sound like metal tearing and a fierce wind blew through the room, rattling jars and strewing papers everywhere. The potion began to take on a life of its own, rotating within the cauldron faster and faster.

"Help!" Ron cried, "it's got me!" Indeed the blue concoction had begun sucking the boy's arm into the vortex. Charlotte sprang into action, wrapping her arms around his chest and pulling backward. The wind intensified into a roar, almost deafening.

"Potter," Snape yelled, "get Dumbledore. Now." Harry looked at the professor and then at Charlotte struggling to free his friend. With a nod he ran out of the classroom.

"Severus!" Charlotte screamed as she and Ron slid further towards the cauldron. Snape joined the chain, pulling on Charlotte with all his might, but could not slow their progress. The vortex was expanding, filling the whole room with a blue light. They were all under the potion's pull now, like pieces of iron to a magnet. "Severus?" she said again, well and truly scared now.

"Just hang on to Mr. Weasley," he answered in her ear, "Potter will be back with Dumbledore soon." He hoped so, anyway. It was now so bright in the classroom he could no longer see the cauldron. Suddenly he was in free fall and then everything went dark.

Moments later Harry burst through the doorway, followed by Dumbledore and Deputy Headmistress McGonagall. The usually orderly classroom was a disaster area, parchment and broken glass lined the floor. At the center of it all was a large overturned cauldron, a grey liquid dripping on to the stone floor. Of Ron and the professors there was no trace.


	2. Chapter 2

She landed solidly on a stone floor and her tailbone protested. The blue light had abruptly vanished, leaving her eyes to cope painfully with the change. Slowly she could make out two figures lying beside her, Ron and Severus.

"Are you guys all right?" she asked.

Ron sat up and winced, "I think my shoulder's dislocated."

"I am not surprised," said Snape, coming to inspect the boy. The red-head shot Charlotte a desperate look. Having the professor examine him was clearly causing Ron more discomfort than his shoulder ever could.

"You were the rope in a nasty game of tug of war," Charlotte supplied, helping Ron to his feet. "We should get him to Poppy," she said to Snape. He took a position on Ron's other side but then froze abruptly. "What's wrong?"

"This is not my classroom." His voice was certain, if confused. Charlotte surveyed the room. At first glance it looked like the potions room, if bearing no sign of the whirlwind that had recently been unleashed. On closer inspection, however, Charlotte could see that the lectern was on the wrong side of the room, as was the chalkboard. The rows of ingredients for up-coming lessons did not follow Snape's precise ordering system and were housed not in the standard stopper-top glass jars from Slug and Jiggers, but in vials that almost looked like cut crystal. 

"The writing on the board doesn't look like any of the teachers I've had at school, sir," Ron remarked.

"We'd better find Dumbledore." Both men nodded and they began making their way slowly to the door.

"Stop right there!" A wizard, not much taller than Professor Flitwick, was standing at the entrance to the store room, wand outstretched. "Who are you and what are you doing in my classroom?"

"Your classroom?" Snape asked indignantly, drawing himself up. "What have you done to _my classroom?"   _

"I have been Potions Master at Hogwarts for ten years; I think I have some concept of where my own classroom is." The small man's voice had jumped a half an octave and his wand hand shook. "Furthermore, in that time I have never seen any of you before. I can only assume that you have penetrated the castle walls for some evil end. You will come with me to the headmaster's office. If you do not come willingly, I will have no alternative but to use force."

"I think seeing the headmaster is the most intelligent thing I have heard you say thus far," answered Snape and he swept out of the room, leaving the others to follow in his wake. 

To call the walk through the castle tense would be an understatement. Snape's back was straight and his shoulders tight, Charlotte could almost see the annoyance rolling off of him. He disliked deception and disliked not having control of a situation even more. Charlotte was worried, not angry. As they made their way to the headmaster's office she noticed minor differences in the school as well. She didn't recognize some of the portraits that lined the walls and the ones she did recognize did not seem to know her. It was all very strange. Snape's purposeful stride halted abruptly as they approached the office entrance. Looking past him, Charlotte saw why. Instead of a great phoenix statue guarding the entrance it was a large dragon.

"I don't think Dumbledore is going to be waiting for us inside." Charlotte said softly. Snape shot her a look and squared his jaw. 

The little wizard stepped forward. "Deosil!" he said to the dragon and the statue began to move, re-curling its tail into a ramp that spiraled up into the office. With a sharp wave of his wand, the potions master directed them up.

The office had none of Dumbledore's organized chaos, no shelves of pensieves, no Fawkes and most importantly, no Dumbledore. There was a serious looking man of sixty or so intently studying a piece of parchment. He wore robes of silver black, was clean shaven with well-styled grey hair. He looked up with a pleasant smile when the party entered the room.

"Well Fitzhugh, who have you brought to me at this time of night? Not errant students, I think?" Charlotte thought he had a kind face, but it lacked Albus' all-knowing twinkle. 

"No sir. I found these three in the Potions Classroom. This one," he said, gesturing to Snape, "said it was his classroom!"

The headmaster came round the side of his desk to look at them closely. "Professor Fitzhugh has been with us a long time. Furthermore, I do not remember seeing any of you on the faculty list, and it is well nigh impossible for people to just appear within the walls of the school. Would you be so good as to tell me who you all are?"

"I'm Charlotte Parnell, this is Severus Snape, and this is Ronald Weasley. We are equally confused, sir. There was an accident in our potions room and we suddenly found ourselves on the business end of Professor Fitzhugh's wand."

Both Fitzhugh and the headmaster looked rather surprised. "You're an American!" exclaimed Fitzhugh. 

Charlotte looked at them as though they were both daft. "Yes," she said slowly.

"We haven't heard much from the Americans of late, things are quite tense between the Muggle governments as you know, and what with Napoleon and all, we've been quite the isolated island recently." 

Charlotte and Snape exchanged a glance. "Excuse me, did you say 'Napoleon'?" she asked weakly.

Fitzhugh nodded. After a pause Snape asked. "Headmaster, would you by chance have a copy of today's Daily Prophet?"

"Of course, have it owled to me every morning." He handed the paper to Snape, who scanned it quickly and then thrust it at Charlotte, pointing to the masthead. She gasped. In plain smudge-proof ink it said November 14, 1811. Charlotte passed the paper to Ron, who went very pale.

Snape cleared his throat. "I believe we have worked out part of the problem." The two men looked at him expectantly. "I was not in error when I said that the Potions Classroom was mine. I am the Potions Master at Hogwarts – one hundred and eighty-six years from now."

The only sound in the office was the fire snapping. At last the headmaster said. "Well then." He seemed at loss for anything further. 

            "Headmaster, Ron was injured in our – journey here, would it be possible to take him to the infirmary to have someone look at his shoulder?"

            The headmaster looked at Charlotte and then at Ron and nodded slowly. "Yes, of course. I'm sure you know the way, but I will come along to explain things to Madam Nostra."

            "You don't honestly believe them?" blustered Fitzhugh as they made to leave.

            "You are welcome to administer Veritaserum to us all," Snape responded with dampening look.

            "I hardly think that necessary at this stage," replied the headmaster. "I would far rather they be time travelers than entertain the possibility that someone had penetrated the impregnable Hogwarts. By the by, I suppose I should introduce myself. Patrice Torht." He shook hands all around and then. "Lets get Mr. – Weasley, was it, down to the infirmary."

            Madam Nostra was clearly cut of the same cloth as Madam Pomfrey, Charlotte suspected that brisk understanding was probably in the job description. Torht told the mediwitch that the trio were guests who had just arrived and she did not press the issue. Nostra reset the joint with quick efficiency and then gave Ron a potion to help him sleep. With a last look at the peacefully unconscious red-head, Torht led them out of the infirmary. 

            "You both must be tired. Rooms have been prepared for you in the guest wing, and for Mr. Weasley too when he recovers. I will have a change of clothes sent up as well. To what houses do you all belong?"

            "Professor Snape is a Slytherin, I am a Ravenclaw, more or less, and Ron is a Gryffindor. Do you really believe us?" Charlotte added, impulsively.

            "It is as I said to Fitzhugh; it is the preferable explanation to you breaking into Hogwarts. It is a turbulent time, Napoleon is still on the move, the Muggles seem ready to war with America, and the Luddites have been causing trouble in the countryside. To me the arrival of three time travelers seems a minor inconvenience."

            Charlotte laughed, "We are accidental travelers at best. Manipulating time is still very closely regulated by the Ministry."

            "Then how exactly did you come to be here?"

            "We shall have to wait for Mr. Weasley to know the full story," began Snape and he proceeded to tell Torht what he and Charlotte had experienced.

            "I have never heard of a potion behaving remotely in that fashion. Admittedly I have not the potions expertise of you or Fitzhugh but…" he trailed off as they approached three vaulted wooden doors. "Here are your rooms. Mr. Weasley will be in the one on the far end, with Professor Snape in the middle and you, Professor Parnell at the other end. I will bid you both goodnight, but I hope you will do me the honor of joining me for breakfast in my quarters?" At their assent he bowed and left. 

            Charlotte closed her door firmly behind her and looked around. In any century Hogwarts provided choice accommodations. The centerpiece of the room was a large four poster bed with a thick lavender and green quilt. It wasn't as big as her room, but then it was the guest quarters and not designed for a permanent stay. _Oh Merlin, I hope it's not permanent. She sat down heavily on the edge of the bed and stared at the stone wall. "Holy Fuck!" she exclaimed, as their situation sank in. __I'm in 18-fucking-11. It would be another 110 years before her grandparents were born. "How are we ever going to get out of this one?" she whispered. There was some comfort from thinking that Ron would know exactly what happened and they could be back in their time before dinner tomorrow, but it couldn't fully combat the waves of fear and loneliness sweeping over her. __Shut up, Charlotte, she told herself sternly, __go to bed, think about it in the morning. She transfigured her shirt and slacks into something more sleep appropriate and laid her blue robe carefully over the back of the desk chair. Turning back to the bed, she caught sight of something odd in the wall beside the desk. On closer inspection she saw there was a thin space separating one of the blocks at the bottom of the wall from its fellows. __This is the wall adjoining Severus' room. I wonder…. She pushed on the stone and it slid forward easily. The ensuing space was just big enough for her to crawl into so she did, pushing the stone as she moved forward. A shaft of light broke around the brick and she heard a sharp voice say, "Who's there?" Charlotte entered Snape's room with her arms raised._

            "Don't shoot." The man put down his wand and Charlotte stood up. "It was like that when I found it, honest," she said, pointing to the large stone block on the floor. "I just gave it a push." He had obviously been in bed. He wore only a black t-shirt and black shorts and the dark tapestry quilt was pulled back to reveal crisp white sheets.

            "Torht is right," he began, "we should rest. There will be plenty of time to talk tomorrow."

            "I know, but-" she hesitated, "I'm scared, I don't want to be alone." This was a rare admission from her, and he knew it. There were plenty of things she was scared of – flying on broomsticks, boggarts, the prospect of Lucius and Voldemort – but in her American way she put on a brave face and did what she had to do. Of course, accidental time travel was nothing compared to brooms or boggarts. He was worried too, but worse at owning up to it. Severus got back into bed and lifted up the covers in silent invitation. She climbed in beside him, savoring the warmth and smiling as his body molded around hers. A sudden burst of happiness bubbled through her chest and she relaxed into his arms. The past could wait a few hours. Within moments she was fast asleep. 

            How long he lay there watching her breathe he did not know. His second thought upon reading the paper was of Voldemort. Should he decide to call his followers, would the Dark Mark carry through space and time? And if so, was its pull strong enough to bring him back to the present? Did he dare bring Charlotte and Weasley along in hopes of getting them safely back to the proper Hogwarts? What if Voldemort called him and he did not respond? He sighed; it did no good to deal in the realm of possibilities. Better to wait until he had all the facts at his disposal. He inhaled the faint scent of citrus and herbs that lingered on Charlotte's hair and allowed himself to drift off.

***

            They were awakened the next morning by a determined pounding on the door. Charlotte had bolted from the bed and back into her room with such a rare display of early morning consciousness that Severus wondered how many times she had done it before. He made a mental note to tease her about it later, and then pushed the ensuing mental image out of his head as he answered the door. 

            "Good morning Professor Snape, sir. Dilly has brought you these clothes from Headmaster Tohrt, sir." The house elf handed him a package and bowed himself out. Snape heard Dilly repeat a similar message to Charlotte next door and then went in search of a bath.

            Charlotte had been relieved to find that the Hogwarts of 1811 did boast indoor facilities that were very similar to what she was used to, down to the high density brightly colored bubble bath. Clean and dry, she turned her attention to the parcel Dilly had given her. There was a white chemise slip followed by a close fitting muslin dress with an empire waist. The bodice of the dress was a bright brass and the skirt a dark blue – Ravenclaw's colors. Over top of that went a long black duster-cloak that also hugged the line of her body. Charlotte ignored the thin slippers in favor of her more sturdy black boots. She dressed her hair (with the aid of a charm or two) based on what she remembered seeing in movies and descriptions of the period, swept up into an elaborate bun with a few ringlets free to frame her face. The mirror nodded approvingly, so Charlotte guessed she had done it right. She entered Severus' room in a more conventional manner, hoping for some reaction to her period appearance. He was at the mirror, putting the final touches on his own outfit. Charlotte let out a low whistle. Over a white shirt he wore a double breasted grey waistcoat with thin diagonal stripes in Slytherin green. Below that came grey breeches and shiny black Hessian boots. A long black robe cut like a driving coat went over it all and intricately tied white cravat completed the ensemble. 

            "Sex on a stick," Charlotte breathed, taking it all in. The corners of his mouth twitched briefly. "I don't suppose I could persuade you wear that back home?"

            "No," he answered without hesitation. "However," he continued an evil smirk forming as he considered her appearance, "I might be persuaded –" a tentative knock at the door prevented Charlotte from hearing what  exactly and it was annoyed Snape that snapped "What?" at the door. 

Ron took that as all the invitation he would get and opened the door. He was attired similarly to Snape, but with a yellow waistcoat with stripes of red and yellow breeches. "How are you feeling Ron?" asked Charlotte, moving away from Snape.

"I'm okay, a little sore maybe." He paused and flushed. "Thanks for trying to save me, Professor. I'm sorry it ended up this way."

Charlotte gave Snape a dirty look, daring him to make a snarky comment. "Don't worry about it Ron. Come on, Headmaster Torht is expecting us for breakfast."

Patrice Torht was waiting for them in his sitting room where a small breakfast had been set. After a polite inquiry into Ron's health and the quality of sleep they enjoyed they tucked into the food. 

"I hope you will forgive me," the headmaster began, spreading jam on a piece of bread, "but after further consideration, and a relatively sleepless night on my part, I feel that I ought to administer the Veritaserum to you all. It would be remiss of me with all these children under my care not to take the precaution."

"Of course, Headmaster," said Charlotte, "we'd be happy to oblige."

"We hope not to trespass on your hospitality too long, but that does depend on Mr. Weasley." Ron looked up from his plate at Snape, startled. 

"What happened in the classroom, Ron?" asked Charlotte. 

Ron shifted his gaze uneasily from one professor to the other. "It was Crabbe and Goyle! Me and Harry were working on the potion and we saw them outside the door. They threw something at us, I think they were trying to hit Harry, but their aim was pretty bad. It hit the jar of Betony and knocked it into the cauldron and then the thing fell in the cauldron too." He hesitated and then added, "I'm thinking that Malfoy – Draco – is somehow involved. Crabbe and Goyle are his goons; they can't tie their shoes without his say so."

Snape looked less than thrilled with this assessment of the members of his house, but restricted his comments to the matter at hand. "What did they throw at you Mr. Weasley?"

"I'm not sure. It looked a bit like a Remembrall, but it all happened so fast." He furrowed his brow in thought, and then shook his head. "I can't see it clearly."

Snape turned back to Torht. "Once you have confirmed we are who we claim, we will need a safe location for our potions work and a number of supplies, including a Pensieve."

"Certainly, I will make the arrangements. But there is one other matter we must address. Perhaps it is the same in your time, but Hogwarts students now seem to have an uncanny knack for discovering anything and everything the faculty tries to keep secret. For the moment it will be easy enough to explain your presence as guests of mine but," he cleared his throat delicately, "it is not at all common for women, witch or Muggle, to travel alone with two men of no relation. There needs to be some explanation for her inclusion in the party. "

"That is easily solved," answered Snape with an unconcerned air, "Professor Parnell can be my wife."

_A/N: Thanks to the reviewers and my trusted team of beta readers. Also, drawings of Severus and Charlotte's costumes can be found here: http://www.geocities.com/aquaesulis06/regencycolor.jpg and http://www.geocities.com/aquaesulis06/regencycolor2.jpg_


	3. Chapter 3

"Wife?" she exclaimed quietly facing Snape outside the headmaster's office. "What about sister?"

Snape shot her a look and shuddered slightly, "I think not. I know it is a dubious honor, but if you will remember it is not legally binding."

Was it her imagination, or was there a bit of hurt behind the sarcasm? "I know – you just kind of caught me off guard. Hey, at least I don't have to pretend I don't like you anymore," she paused, "but what about Ron? I don't think you and he will work as pals who like traveling together, and he doesn't look enough like either of us to be a relative. How bout your ward? That should keep the latent fear/annoyance relationship intact, if you can manage to call him by his first name." 

Snape rolled his eyes. The door to the office opened and Ron came out. Torht was taking them in turns to administer the truth potion, choosing Ron as the first victim. Severus went into the office, leaving Ron and Charlotte to sit in a very undignified but comfortable fashion upon the stone floor. She explained Ron's place in their make-believe world, which didn't please him very much.

"I don't think I can call him anything other than Professor Snape to his face," he explained, "It'd just be too weird."

"Well, I think you'd better just stick to 'sir' then. I expect we'll try and keep our interaction with others to a minimum – can't risk damaging the time line and all." They sat in silence for a while. She didn't really know Ron that well. Everyone knew of him, of course, it was hard to be the best friend of the boy who-continued-to-live and retain any anonymity. He and Harry often waited for Hermione after Muggle Studies, she had his sister Ginny in the fifth year class, and of course she heard plenty about all the objectionable Gryffindors from Severus, but none of that really counted as knowing him. 

"Professor, I mean Charlotte, do you think we'll be able to get back home?" he sounded younger than his seventeen years.

She smiled encouragingly. "Of course we will! For all his…idiosyncrasies, you know as well as I do that Severus is a potions genius. He'll figure out how we got her and get us back, no trouble."

"Your confidence is inspiring," said a dry voice from above. "May I ask why my would-be wife is sprawled in a heap upon the ground?" Charlotte and Ron scrambled to their feet, looking sheepish. "If we are to present this fiction to the world at large, I must ask that you attempt to act in a manner befitting the name of Snape."

Charlotte made a face, "I'd much rather just be your boorish, uneducated American wife whose only redeeming feature is the size of her…fortune."

"Charlotte," Snape sighed but she waved him away.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll be a model witch, have no fear. If you'll excuse me, I have a date with some truth serum."

***

Satisfied with the results of his questioning, Tohrt led them to a disused classroom on the fourth floor. A steady stream of house elves followed in his wake, depositing all manner of supplies on tables and chairs before scurrying out again. The trio spent the morning arranging the room to Snape's liking before sitting down with the Pensieve after lunch. At Severus' instruction, Ron pulled out the silvery strands of memory and dropped them into the swirling bowl. Charlotte didn't particularly like the idea of being sucked into a piece of crockery for the second time in as many days, but she dutifully peered into the glowing liquid and arrived in the potions room of 1997. They stood beside the cauldron, watching the boys prepare the potion. Snape studied their handiwork closely, making note of the exact quantities added to the mix. Charlotte watched herself walk into the classroom and was very glad it was Ron's memories and not hers they were seeing. Snape and her doppelganger went into the storeroom, closing the door behind them. Ron and Charlotte took up a position by the classroom entrance while Snape remained by the potion. Crabbe and Goyle poked their heads around the door frame and grinned. In the hand of one (Charlotte never could tell them apart) was a small glass ball ringed with an engraved silver sash. Within the sphere a glowing substance writhed. It did look a bit like the Pensieve goop, but it was hard to be sure. Crabbe/Goyle heaved the ball towards Harry and Ron, but as Ron had said, their aim was sadly lacking. The ball collided with the jar of betony, knocking most of it into the cauldron. Contact occurred directly on the sphere's metal ring, which seemed to be come kind of latch mechanism because the ball sprung open, dumping its contents in to the potion before falling in itself. As the first drops of silvery liquid hit the cauldron there was a sound like a car backfiring and the potion began to swirl. The other Snape and Charlotte rushed out of the storeroom. Charlotte looked back towards Crabbe and Goyle. From the expressions on their faces she guessed that everything had not gone according to plan. When they caught sight of their head-of-house they bolted for the safety of their common room.

As soon as the other Ron went head first into the cauldron the trio found themselves back in 1811. Snape instantly began making notes on parchment. While he worked Charlotte and Ron compared their own impressions of what they had seen. At last Snape looked up.

"So fearless leader," said Charlotte,"what next?"

 "We experiment. I have made a list of all the known ingredients plus some possibilities for the contents of the ball. I will investigate the contents of Professor Fitzhugh's stores and then we will venture out to procure what he lacks." The prospect of entering the stores as a visitor and not master had clearly been overpowered by the thought of reconstructing the concoction that had brought them there. _Severus is just a big potions geek at heart, _Charlotte thought, not for the first time, with a grin.

"Well, while you investigate the stores, Ron and I are going for a walk. Hopefully you will have a chance to think about proper husbandly behavior." She left with her nose in the air, an amused Ron following shortly thereafter.

Charlotte and Ron strolled the grounds, marveling at how similar everything was. Replace the uniforms and it might almost be 1997. Charlotte, who had actually read _Hogwarts: A History, suspected that very little about the school had changed in the 1000 plus years of its operation. She did wonder, however, how students traveled to the castle since mainstream use of the steam engine was still a few decades away. Charlotte decided that she liked the youngest of the Weasley boys very much. He was clearly more comfortable talking with her on an equal basis than Severus. _But then, I haven't spent the last six years making his life miserable. _She wasn't that much older than Ron, and she didn't really adhere to the formal teaching style of most of her colleagues – which she presumed made her more approachable. The idea that she was an attractive young lady with a bright smile and a quick laugh and he a teenaged hormonally driven boy didn't occur to her. They had a good time exchanging stories of misadventures magical and mundane. He and Harry got into more scrapes than anyone else she knew – except perhaps for the infamous Weasley twins, who were no doubt a bad influence on Ron and company. Eventually Snape dispatched a house-elf to bring them back to the classroom. The remainder of the day was spent sorting and preparing ingredients. Headmaster Torht stopped by to check their progress and remind them of the pre-dinner gathering of the faculty and staff in the lounge, which to a strategic planning session on keeping a low profile and maintaining a consistent story._

"Snape and Weasley are both well known wizarding names, are they not?" asked Charlotte suddenly, "Won't that attract attention?"

"I have already addressed that issue for my – for us, being quite familiar with the intricacies of the Snape family tree. If Mr. Weasley does not possess a similar understanding he had better come up with an alternative."

Ron thought for a moment, "How 'bout Evans? It was Harry's mum's name and she was the first of her family to go to Hogwarts."

"It's a pretty common Muggle name too," added Charlotte. Snape made a curious face but said nothing. "Ronald Evans it is!"

Severus and Ron joined Charlotte in her room once everyone was presentable again. With ill grace Snape helped Ron with his cravat and Charlotte altered the colors of their costumes. Her dress became light blue muslin, Ron's waistcoat became brick red and his breeches a more becoming khaki. Snape insisted on an all black ensemble, but Charlotte added delicate black embroidery to the silk waistcoat when the potions master wasn't looking. 

Threading a blue ribbon through her hair Charlotte noticed her hands. "Severus, we need rings!" 

This fact had obviously not occurred to Snape. After a moment's thought he demanded two strands of her hair. He entwined each piece with a strand of his own hair, forming two small circles with the result. Laying the hair down on the table he asked, "Gold or silver?"

Charlotte blinked at him several times before catching on. "Platinum please, I'm allergic to silver," she replied with a grin. He gave her the look he reserved for his most errant students but as usual, it failed to have any effect. With a flick of his wand, the hair circlets were transformed into two platinum rings. Both bands were flat and unadorned, with hers about half the thickness of his. Severus picked up Charlotte's ring and turned her outstretched left hand over, palm down. He slid the band slowly onto her finger and raised his eyes to meet hers. Charlotte forgot how to breathe. All she could see was him, all she felt was the cold metal warming to her skin. In that instant she knew for certain that she loved him, that she wanted the ring to be real. She wanted forever with him, and her heart flew to her mouth with the thought that maybe, just maybe, he wanted the same thing too. 

Behind them, Ron cleared his throat and the moment was broken. "We'd better go down to dinner," he said, looking worried. 

Charlotte blushed fiercely and stepped back, pushing the ring firmly on to her finger. "You're right," she said with a forced laugh, "we don't want to be late." Snape slipped his own ring on and they left for the Great Hall.

***

Ron was concerned, and more than a little confused. When Snape put the ring on Charlotte, he had looked positively human, and she didn't seem to mind the slightest. Was it possible that someone could actually care about the slimy git? Harry and Hermione would never believe it. But then, Snape had never looked at any of his students the way he looked at Charlotte. It hurt his head to think about Snape that way, the man was a purebred asshole. _But maybe even assholes have a soft spot for pretty foreigners. _Snape and Charlotte were both very quiet as they made their way to the lounge, each occupied with their own thoughts. Ron watched them avoid looking at each other. Something was very odd here. As surely as if they had been hit with Cheering Charms, their expressions transformed when they entered the lounge. Admittedly, Snape only went from sour to disinterested, but Charlotte did enough for both of them. She stood straight and turned on the charm, smiling brightly when the Headmaster came to greet them. 

He led them to the small knot of people standing by the fire. "My friends, I am pleased to introduce our guests, Severus Snape, his wife Charlotte and their ward Ronald Evans." Snape and Ron bowed, Charlotte dropped a shallow curtsey. They were introduced to the faculty and staff, whose names Charlotte promptly forgot. Last in line was a man not much older than her. He had wavy dark blond hair and wore a robe of foggy grey that matched his eyes. 

"Nathaniel Seon, at your service." When he touched Charlotte's hand he did a double take and looked very confused, but that look was soon smothered under an affable smile.

"A pleasure Mr. Seon," she answered, "what do you teach here?"

"Divination." Like any good student of Severus Snape, Charlotte took very little stock in Divination. Indeed, she felt that Trelawney and her airy-fairy ways had done more harm to that branch of magic than all the new age texts in Muggle bookstores. Professor Seon made her nervous. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she was pretty sure it had something to do with the fact he spent all of dinner covertly staring at her.

At last the plates were cleared and the children shuffled back to their common rooms. Torht led the faculty, staff and guests back to the lounge. A beverage service was waiting them, as were sets of wizard's chessmen and decks of cards. Those accustomed to the procedure sat down to enjoy a companionable evening. Before they felt too awkward, Snape led Charlotte to a seat by the window. Ron was quickly invited to join a game of cards with the young and jovial professors of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy. After a quiet command to think before speaking, Snape let him go.

A very upset Fitzhugh soon joined them. Apparently he didn't take very kindly to his stores being ransacked without his knowledge. With a 'you owe me' look, Charlotte steered the potions master away and on to more pleasant subjects. By the time she had returned from placating the little wizard, Headmaster Torht had attached himself to Snape. She helped herself to a cup of tea and watched the pixies on Ron's cards do acrobatics and offer bad advice.

"Mrs. Snape?"

It took Charlotte a moment to remember that se was supposed to answer to that hail. Professor Seon stood beside her, looking curious. 

She smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, I was watching the game."

"Your young ward should be wary, those two could swindle a goblin," Nathaniel replied with a grin. "How are you enjoying your stay at Hogwarts?"

"It certainly has been most – informative."

"Have you any plans for the remainder of your time here?"

"My husband wishes to collect plants tomorrow. He is a potions master by trade and tells me there are many interesting plants in this part of the country."

"Have you been in England long?"

"A year or more, we came not long after the wedding."

"You were married in America?"

Charlotte gave him a surprised look. "Of course. What mother would let her only daughter be married 3,000 miles from home?" She presumed this was how her mother would feel, but Charlotte hadn't exactly broached the subject with her. Nathaniel seemed satisfied with her response but unwilling to leave her alone. He questioned her politely but persistently about all aspects of her life until at last she was able to fob him off the complaint of a headache that was only partially imagined. It had taken all her history knowledge and memory of her assumed background to converse with him, the effort of keeping up the façade had worn her out. She said as much to Snape and together they detached Ron from the card table and went off to bed.

Within moments of closing her door Charlotte had pushed out the stone block and joined Snape in his room. He didn't seem surprised to see her and made no comment as she undressed and transfigured some more appropriate sleeping wear.

"So, was I a credit to the family?" she asked, climbing under the covers.

"Your performance was acceptable," he replied softening his words by placing a kiss on her forehead. "Professor Seon certainly seemed to appreciate it."

"He makes me nervous – I think he suspects something. He might actually be a competent Diviner." Snape snorted. "They can't all be like Sibyll, Severus, or else the field would never have survived."

"Go to sleep, Charlotte."

"Yes, O most exalted husband." 

If Ron had been awake instead of dreaming about leading the Chudley Cannons to victory, he might have heard a sudden shriek of laughter followed by a low chuckle that could not possibly belong to a man who was generally regarded as having no human emotion at all. But as he was occupied being carried off the pitch by adoring fans he missed it entirely.   


	4. Chapter 4

***

Far too early the next morning the trio walked to the edge of the wards that protected Hogwarts and Apparated to a windy cliff some miles north of the school. Hardy scrub vegetation stretched out before them, slowly transforming into a lush green valley in the distance. Behind them the North Sea waged an endless noisy battle with the rocks that comprised the shore below. The sun was shining brightly but it did little to warm the air. Charlotte was glad she had worn pants for his expedition.

"We are looking for a black hellebore plant. I don't suppose, Mr. Weasley, that you remember the plant from last year's class?" Ron admitted that he did not. With a resigned sigh Snape continued, "It is distinctive for its broad shiny leaves. The hellebore grows close to the ground and has white flowers. Spread out, we should be able to find a suitable specimen along the cliff.

Ron wished for a trademark Weasley sweater as the wind cut through his cloak. All the plants had begun to look alike to him when Snape signaled that he had found the hellebore. The potions master stripped the leaves and flowers carefully and placed them in a glass vial which disappeared into the folds of his robe.

"Where is Charlotte?" he asked, looking up.

Ron looked around. They seemed to be all alone on the cliff. "She was walking along the edge over there," he said, pointing.

"We had better find her. Charlotte has proven herself most adept at getting in to trouble."

Charlotte was suddenly conscious. Her head was killing her, as was her ankle. The last thing she remembered was slipping on a bit of loose earth on the edge of the cliff. Taking a cautious look around, she determined that she had been moved into some kind of cave. There were voices approaching from nearby. She closed her eyes and lay still. 

Someone came close and checked her breathing and pulse. He moved away saying, "She's still out." His voice was rough, with a lower class accent.

"She took a nasty fall over the cliff edge, I'm not surprised." The second man sounded better educated and marginally more concerned for her welfare.

"You sure she's one of your folk?"

"I'm certain. Hogsmeade and the school are the only settlements for miles." He paused, "I'd do a healing spell, but then I'll be detected."

"We can't have that."

"Indeed not. How goes the recruiting process?"

"Tolerably well, milord. Plenty of men willing to do anything to get rid of the machines."

"Excellent. As I have mentioned before, there are many wizards who share your feelings. We will destroy the mills and then move on to our second objective, with the aid of your men."

"Beggin' your pardon, milord, but I can't help wonder why a load of wizards would be interested in – what d'ye call 'em – Muggle machines."

"The reasons vary. Some have a genuine concern for the way workers are treated in the Muggle world. Others are afraid that all these new machines and scientific advances will make it more difficult for us to conceal our ways from Muggles. And of course, there are those who have no interest in your machines – all they care about is a cheap and, forgive me, expendable source of labor."

The Muggle grunted and was silent for a moment. "What is she wearing?" he asked abruptly. 

Charlotte's heart stopped, but the wizard seemed uninterested. "Merlin only knows, probably some kind of plant collecting outfit. Hogwarts has become a breeding ground for the most libertine of ideas." His voice trailed off and he laughed. "Never mind. We shall do our job and you will do yours."

"If you succeed you can ask for Hogwarts or the moon and the men will be glad to bring it to you."

"Excellent. I have some matters to attend to. Keep watch on the girl, she may be of some use to us. I have put up a ward that will prevent her from Apparating within the cave." Charlotte heard the sound of footsteps retreating into silence. After a few moments she opened her eyes just a fraction. The man was turned away from her, in the process of making afire. Very slowly she dipped her hand into the sleeve of her robe and worked her wand out of its sheath. With one quick movement she transferred the wand to her right sleeve. She lay still. Her confidence was returning with the weight of the wood in her hand. Charlotte jumped to her feet and yelled, "_Stupefy!" To her horror the man turned around and advanced on her. _That bastard must have put a ward on spells as well. _So she kicked the Muggle in the groin and ran like hell._

***

Professor Snape was worried. Ron had seen him go through a wide range of emotions over the years, mostly in the annoyance and fury end of the spectrum, but he was hard pressed to remember a time he had seen the potions master concerned. _'Cause he doesn't give a toss about any of us, _he thought and then stopped short. Snape really did care about Charlotte! _Bloody hell! Harry and Hermione will never believe this!_  Gazing back to the valley below, he saw Professor Seon walking towards them. _What's he doing up here? _Snape looked equally thrilled to see the Divination teacher. 

"She's in Hogsmeade," Nathaniel said without preamble. Snape seemed completely at a loss for words so the younger man continued. "I had a vision that something would happen so I went looking for Mrs. Snape. She is safe in the village as I said. She would not tell me what happened but asked me to fetch you and Mr. Evans. 

Charlotte sat in the Three Broomsticks nursing a butterbeer. She jumped up with relief when she saw Severus and immediately buckled as her ankle refused to hold her weight. Snape sighed and helped her back to her seat. 

He drew his wand "_Ferula!_" a splint wrapped itself around her leg. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" he asked softly. Charlotte shook her head. "Well then, are you going to tell me what happened or do I have to beat it out of you?"

An impish grin appeared. "Oooh, kinky," and then she blushed, remembering Seon's presence. "I don't think here is the best location, we need to talk to Headmaster Torht."

***

"A league of wizards conspiring with Luddites to destroy machines and take over Hogwarts? My dear girl, you must be joking."

"I heard what I heard Headmaster. I'd be more than happy to take Veritaserum again, if necessary."

Glancing at Nathaniel he hastily replied, "That's not necessary. But at this point we have only your word to go on, and we have no time line of when these events will transpire."

"From what my wife has said, I gather that the answer to the last is soon. Muggle workers have been assembled. I suggest you alert the Ministry, tell them to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity around the mills and factories."

Torht looked inclined to disagree, but Nathaniel spoke first. "Mr. Snape is right, Headmaster. The Signs all point to a major event in the near future." 

"Very well," said Torht with a sigh, "I will contact the Ministry – but I ask you all not to share this information with anyone until I give you leave to do so." They were dismissed. Once outside the office, Nathaniel seemed eager to speak with them, but Snape quickly and forcibly dragged Charlotte and Ron back to their classroom.

"Why did you go to him?" He demanded, once the door had closed behind them. "Why didn't you return to the cliff or go to Torht?"

"I didn't 'go to him'," Charlotte responded defensively, "he found me! I ran away from the cave and when I stopped to catch my breath I saw him coming through the trees. I barely had enough time to transfigure my dress back before he saw me!  I had no choice but to Apparate back to Hogsmeade with him. I wanted to go back and find you two, but as you might have noticed my ankle was injured. He made me stay in the pub; he said he would find you both and bring you to me. And so he did, the end." She had very nearly lost her temper by the end of the explanation.

Snape made an unpleasant face and muttered, "The sooner we get back to our time the better."

"I think we should stay." Charlotte's voice was quiet, but determined.

"What?" exclaimed Severus and Ron in unison.

"Not forever! But I think we should stay and help defend Hogwarts."

"I don't think they'll need our help, Charlotte," said Ron helpfully, "Hogwarts has always been the safest place in the country, since it was founded! No load of Muggles is going to bring it down."

"Furthermore, we know nothing will come of this raid. 186 years from now the school will still be in existence, almost exactly as it is now."

"How do we know that isn't because we stuck around to help save it?" Charlotte asked.

Neither man seemed to have a ready answer to that question. At last Ron said. "I wish Hermione were here." At the looks of confusion and scorn he received the redhead shrugged sheepishly. "She's probably got five feet of parchment on the Luddite Rebellion of 1811memorized. She'd know exactly what happened."

Severus set the hellebore sample down on a desk and glared at them both. "Tomorrow morning we will procure a glass sphere from Diagon Alley. Tomorrow afternoon we will prepare the potion that will return us to our own time. This matter is not open to discussion."

***

They spent the rest of the day apart, each occupied with their own interests. Severus sat in the classroom, reading the most recent developments in potions making. Charlotte, after being tended to by Madam Nostra, retreated to the library to do some research of her own. Ron was invited by his gambling buddies to watch the Gryffindor quidditch practice and took off like a shot, anxious to see how players coped without cushioning charms. It was not until dinner preparations began that they met up again, by which point Charlotte had resigned herself to returning home. They didn't belong in 1811, they belonged in their own time – Hogwarts could survive an attack without their aid. She tried not to think about the possibility that tomorrow's attempt would not be successful. Severus seemed confident, and she had every faith in his abilities. 

Charlotte adjusted the colors on her and Ron's outfits (Severus could not be persuaded even to substitute a grey waistcoat) and they went down to dinner together, like a proper family. Entering the lounge Charlotte let out a squeal that was quickly transformed into a series of high pitched sneezes for the benefit of all the people who had turned to stare at her.

"What is wrong with you?" Snape hissed in her ear.

"It's Celeste!" she whispered back, "Over there, talking to the Headmaster!" It was indeed the same woman whose portrait guarded Charlotte's rooms in the Hogwarts of 1997. Before Severus could respond, Charlotte made her way across the room towards the girl. 

"Good evening, Headmaster," Charlotte said with a curtsey.

"Ah, good evening Mrs. Snape! Allow me to present my daughter, who has returned just this afternoon from visiting her sister in London. Mrs. Charlotte Snape, Miss Celeste Torht." 

"A pleasure Miss Torht," Charlotte replied, shaking the girl's hand. She introduced Snape and Ron, who had joined them. After a few moments of polite conversation, during which Charlotte surreptitiously clenched her fists to keep from reaching out to touch the solid form of her two dimensional friend, Torht dismissed his daughter so he could have a few words with the Snapes. 

"I have contacted the Ministry," he began in an undertone, "They had no suspicious activity to report, but the minister seemed unsurprised by what you had heard. He couldn't corroborate the story or provide any additional information, of course." Torht sighed, "I have advised the groundskeeper to keep a sharp eye out for anything unusual, and I have spoken with aldermen of Hogsmeade. I believe I have instilled a proper level of caution without alarming anyone. That's all I can really do at this point."

"We appreciate your efforts, Headmaster," answered Snape with a nod. "I hope that a little time is the only cost to you."

Torht bowed in acknowledgement and excused himself as he was called away by Fitzhugh. Nathaniel approached them, asking after Charlotte's health and the success of their plan finding mission prior to the accident. Charlotte couldn't shake the feeling that Seon could see through all their stories. She did manage to shake the man himself and wrangle a seat beside Celeste at dinner. The girl was shyer than her Celeste, but equally friendly and good-tempered. She had gone to Hogwarts finishing the year before. She was engaged to a young wizard currently traveling the world for Gringott's. She was trying to decide what she wanted to do next. Charlotte was relieved to find that it was acceptable for women to work in the Ministry or at St. Mungo's or to pursue further magical education – although many chose to remain at home and raise children like their Muggle counterparts. 

During the pre-dinner announcements, Torht reminded the fifth, sixth, and seventh years of the upcoming Winter Ball. Celeste explained to Charlotte that the Ball was a longstanding tradition at school. The wizarding world's elite joined the upperclassmen for a night of gaiety culminating with the ball. Many an excellent match had been made by eagle-eyed mamas at the ball. Charlotte vaguely remembered reading about the Muggles' "marriage mart" at Almack's and guessed the Winter Ball must serve much the same function. After dinner Charlotte and Snape intercepted Ron before he could sit down at the card table and went back to the classroom. 

The red-head's protests were cut short by Severus, "I'll be dammed if I will be held responsible by Molly Weasley for turning her youngest son into a compulsive gambler." They went through Ron's memory again to make sure nothing had been left out. After finalizing their Diagon Alley shopping list and checking with Headmaster Torht that their money would be accepted they turned in for the night.

***

Charlotte had always marveled that Diagon Alley seemed unchanged since the time of Dickens, now she discovered it was true. She wanted desperately to pop into Ollivanders to see if it was the same Mr. Ollivander manning the shop as in their time, but she was overruled by Snape, who was in no mood for even her frivolity. A remembrall and the last ingredients were purchased without incident. Back at the school, Charlotte emptied the remembrall under Snape's supervision while Ron worked on the headache cure that had been his detention task. Severus ladled the ephemeral Pensieve solution into the sphere and sealed it.

"Are you ready, Mr. Weasley?"

"Yes sir. We had just added the feverfew when Crabbe and Goyle arrived."

"When I signal, add the betony." The potions master positioned the sphere over the cauldron and nodded at Ron. The boy dumped in the container and Snape opened the sphere, letting the contents fall before dropping in the ball itself. Close to the cauldron this time, Charlotte was momentarily deafened by the explosion. Just as before, the substance filled the room with blue light and a fierce wind whipped around them. She grabbed the hands of both men and held on tight. The whole process went much faster when there was no resistance involved. She shut her eyes against the glare. With a sick lurch, she was thrown forward against the cauldron and everything went black.


	5. Chapter 5

The journey through the cauldron was shorter this time, but the encounter with the stone floor no less jarring. After ascertaining that Snape and Ron were uninjured, Charlotte stood and looked around. They were in one of Hogwarts' many classrooms, but with a heavy heart she noticed potions equipment scattered about the room, the same potions equipment they had been using. Lying on a window ledge was a black robe; the one Ron had taken off to work on the headache potion. They were still in 1811.

Ron dropped despondently into a chair. "why didn't it work?" he asked, "we did everything exactly the same!"

"It certainly felt the same," Charlotte added, rubbing the sore spot on her back.

"There must be some other variable that we are missing," Snape said, tipping the cauldron right side up.

Charlotte hopped up on a table. "It makes no sense that this combination only produces a gate to 1811."

"Why did it bring us to 1811 in the first place?" Ron wondered.

"Here's an analogy neither of you will get: maybe it's like a computer program - it has to be told where to go. One of the ingredients must have instructed the potion to send us here." both men looked at her blankly 

"So you're saying that one of the ingredients has some connection to this time?" Ron furrowed his brow, "Well, it can't be the potion ingredients, because they all belonged to their appropriate time – the betony we just used is from 1811 and the betony back home was from 1997 – same thing for the cauldron." He slammed his fist in to his open palm, "it's got to be the remembrall! It's the only thing it could be!" 

Snape looked at the boy in stunned disbelief. Charlotte grinned. "I think you're right, Ron. So we need to find something from 1997. Do you think it has to be glass or metal like the remembrall?"

Severus seemed to have recovered from Ron's unexpected display of intelligence. "Glass is generally a non-reactive material, the metal is a more likely choice as the catalyst."

"So all we need is a metal object from 1997, great," the tone of Ron's voice was not brimming with confidence. 

Snape glared at Ron. "If you don't mind, Mr. Weasley. Our first step will be to collect the possessions we had when we arrived here. Then we will go to the library with the hope of finding a spell or potion to date objects."

"Ah, research," muttered Ron, "it's just like being at home."  

***

Charlotte surveyed the small piles on the table and made notes on a piece of parchment. "Ron, how did you get so much stuff in your robes?" Indeed, the redhead's pile was quite the largest and contained all manner of items, mostly in the realm of empty candy wrappers and various contraband Weasley Wheezes. "Okay, metal items: 2 pants zippers, a pair of earrings, 15 silver Sickles, one pair cufflinks, 3 house badges. I think we've got enough to experiment with."

"To say the least." Snape eyed the collection of junk with distaste. 

"Hey, your pants don't have a zipper, I don't want to hear any complaining from you." 

Severus rolled his eyes. "To the library, Professor." With an elaborate bow, Charlotte swept out of the room.

The library was much the same as it had always been, minded by a mousy witch who retired into the shadows upon encountering the intimidating presence of Severus Snape. The trio split up, scouring the shelves for any possible leads.  There were a few spells that reminded Charlotte of carbon dating, designed for very old objects and giving an approximate age. They would need something far more precise; Charlotte didn't really relish the idea of showing up in 1994 and having to wait the next three years out. Furthermore, she thought that if people encountered themselves from another time the universe would collapse or something equally awful. 

"What if the spell we want hasn't been discovered yet?" Ron asked abruptly.

"Then we will simply have to discover it, Mr. Weasley," Snape answered sharply.

"You know, depending on how long this is going to take, we should probably start thinking about the Winter Ball."

"Why would we want to do that?" Ron wondered.

"For once, we are in agreement, Mr. Weasley."

Charlotte sighed. "Think about it. The Winter Ball is one of the biggest events of the social season. As far as anyone knows, you and I have a ward of marriageable age, it would look most unusual for us not to be in attendance."

"What do you propose we do?" Severus inquired with a resigned air.

"Well, we'll need dress robes and I don't know about you both, but I'm going to need to learn some 19th century dance moves."

After much begging and pleading on Charlotte's part, Severus released them all from library duty the next day so they could watch the final Quidditch match of the season, Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Charlotte couldn't decide whom to root for, whichever team won she was going to have to put up with one of her companions being insufferable.

Watching the teams race around the field, she remarked to no one in particular, "Someday I'm going to have to see a professional Quidditch game."

Ron gaped at her. Clearly he considered one of the privileges of adulthood to be getting to see Quidditch games whenever you wanted. "You've never seen a professional match? Not even a world cup game?"

Charlotte laughed, "Nope. I only learned about Quidditch a year ago, after all!"  Ron looked confused. Realizing her slip, she recovered quickly, "I mean, I'm from the States, Quodpot is all most people talk about."

Ron snorted. "Stupid Americans, Quodpot isn't a real sport!" He returned his attention to the game.

She breathed a sigh of relief and mouthed a contrite apology to Snape who was giving her an unpleasant look. Students were not supposed to know the truth about her background, not even a decent one like Ron Weasley.

***

Charlotte woke up one morning to find that three weeks had passed with alarming haste. It was now early December and the Winter Ball was only a week away. It had taken them four days of combing the library and Fitzhugh's personal collection to find a suitable potion to date their objects. The _Temps Rengier _potion was not a perfect solution by any stretch, but it was the best thing they could find. The potion was brewed with a non-reactive plant from the present time to give it a reference point. When completed, a drop of the potion was placed on the test object. Within moments the object would turn red, the darker the shade, the further from the present time the object was. According to the book, a trained eye could date items to a month by studying the gradations of red. The ingredients for the _Temps Rengier _were all easy to obtain, thankfully. During their trip to Diagon Alley, Charlotte insisted that they shop for dress robes. She pushed Snape and Ron in the direction of Halsom's Haberdashery, commanding the former to buy something suitable for the latter or suffer the consequences. Charlotte went to Madam Malkin's predecessor, Drecier's Drapery. With the help of Madam Drecier herself, Charlotte selected a robe of thick sapphire blue satin with a shimmering underskirt of silver tulle backed with silk of the same color. It was easily the most beautiful thing she had ever seen and it made a wonderful swooshing sound when she moved. Madam Drecier promised to make the alterations and have it sent to Hogwarts as soon as possible. Charlotte privately hoped that their return to the 20th century could be postponed until after the ball, it would be a crime not to make use of that dress.

            The dancing was not as simple as selecting the robe had been. She had checked out Magical Maneuvers from the Hogwarts library, as recommended by Headmaster Torht. Charlotte was enchanted by the book, which projected gold dance charts on the floor and produced the noise of a chamber orchestra out of thin air, but it was hard to learn the partnered dances all alone. She knocked on Snape's door and entered to find the potions master sitting in a fireside armchair engrossed in a book. 

            "Do you intend to keep that racket up all afternoon?" he asked, marking his place.

            Charlotte smiled brightly. "Not necessarily."

            Back in the makeshift dance studio, Snape glowered but took Charlotte's proffered hand as the music began. They went through the first few moves effortlessly, but when he was asked to skip, he protested.

            "I am not a prancing pony," he declared, "I am a potions master, I do not cavort."

            "Very well Severus," Charlotte replied, closing the book.

            "This whole thing is ridiculous. We should focus on returning to our own time, not participating in inane social events."

            "We're doing everything we can. We've got to wait for the _Temps Rengier to finish steeping you know that. For the time being we have to keep up the façade of belonging here, and that includes the inane social events." There was a tapping at her window. Three large barn owls each held a sizeable paper wrapped parcel. Charlotte let them in and put out a dish of water. Once the owls were seen to, she selected the package inscribed 'Mrs. S. Snape' and eagerly ripped it open. She shook out the folds of satin and stood in front of the mirror, robes held against her, rocking to hear the swishing of the fabric. Charlotte turned back to Snape with shining eyes, "Isn't it beautiful?"_

            Under the sheer joy of her expression, Severus' scowl melted. He joined her at the mirror and examined the garment closely. "It is wholly appropriate," he paused, "and you will look beautiful in it."

            Charlotte smiled and stretched up to kiss him. "I will not make you participate in any dances that are beneath your dignity, but you must promise to dance with me once at the ball," she said, once they had parted. "I can't pass up the opportunity to dance the scandalous waltz!"

            "I would deny you nothing," he replied, drawing her close again. At her spluttered protest he put a finger on her lips and smiled. "Correction, I would deny you no sensible request. No wife of mine will spend her days locking herself in chests to practice the _Alohomora _or light herself on fire repeatedly for chance to use her extinguishing spell." Charlotte gave a mock innocent laugh and allowed herself to be kissed thoroughly.

***

            "What color would you call that exactly? Brick red? Rose? Red-brown?"

            "If I see another shade of red my head is going to explode."

            "Then there'd be blood red everywhere!"

            "Are you two quite finished?"

            Charlotte and Ron stopped sniggering. "Yes sir," they chorused meekly. It was very late and they were all having trouble concentrating. The largest table in the classroom was covered with the results of the _Tempus Rengier_. The discoloration would only last a few hours, so they decided the best course of action would be to dye all the objects at once and try and put them in some kind of time line. Charlotte and Ron were charged with arranging the objects from light to dark, while Severus dispensed the potion. After several hours of staring at different objects, it became difficult to tell the closer shades apart. They were getting punchy, whereas Snape was getting irritable – a bad combination. 

            "I can't see straight, I need a break," Charlotte said at last, "I'm going to the kitchens to get a drink." She left before either of them could stop her.

            Coming down the hallway, she saw a light on in one of the classrooms. From the doorway Charlotte could see Celeste lost in thought. She tapped tentatively at the doorframe and the younger girl jumped, but on seeing who it was, motioned for Charlotte to come in. The object of Celeste's consideration nearly made Charlotte's heart stop. It was the partially completed portrait that in almost two hundred years time would guard her room. The starry background was completed, leaving a Celeste-sized white space in the middle. The artist had already done the initial sketches of the girl and the outline of her friend waved at her. Charlotte waved back, but felt uncomfortable, like she was seeing Celeste naked. 

            "What do you think?" the real Celeste asked. "Every headmaster gets at least one picture added to the school's collection. Father wanted to be able to see me every day, even after I've moved away."

            "I think it's lovely," Charlotte replied, meaning it. "But is that what's got you staring at yourself in the middle of the night?" 

            Celeste blushed and shook her head, "No. I was thinking that someday this portrait will see my children, my grandchildren walk through these halls, attend their classes, and learn to be witches and wizards. What things will this picture see? I wonder where it will end up, maybe even guarding a house entrance?" She looked away, "You must think me a very silly girl."

            Charlotte suppressed a smile, "Not at all. I'm sure your portrait will have a place of distinction, and get to look down many generations of your family. Maybe you'll even make a few friends."

            Celeste nodded. "Thank you Mrs. Snape."

            "Please, call me Charlotte. I could really do with a cup of pumpkin juice, would you care to join me?"

            "Thank you Charlotte, but I think I'll retire. I have the final fitting for my ball robes early tomorrow, I need my rest." The girls said their goodbyes and Charlotte continued on her way to the kitchens.

***

            _Tap-tap-tap.__ "Charlotte, are you ready yet?"_

            "Almost! Give me a second will you?"

            "We have already given you fifteen minutes, I fail to see-" The door opened before Severus could complete his uncharitable sentiment and he was suddenly at a loss for words. She had charmed her hair into an elaborate French twist, with a light fall of ringlets framing her face. The sapphire robes suited her perfectly, draping across her figure below the high waist with only a hint of the silver beneath showing until she moved. Charlotte swept an elegant curtsey and winked at Ron, who stood behind Snape, mouth ajar.

            "You look bloody brilliant, Charlotte," the boy exclaimed, going a bit pink around the ears. 

"Thank you, so do you." Ron wore a dashing set of russet robes, with a froth of white cravat at the neck. They fit him quite well, and he looked only marginally uncomfortable. "As for you-" she began, turning her attention to Severus. "All black? I should have known." With a small smile, Snape pulled back the edge of his long black robe to reveal a black silk waistcoat, heavy on the silver embroidery. Charlotte grinned stupidly at him. "It's a start, we'll have you up to the primary colors in no time." She linked arms with both men and led them down the hallway. "We'd better get to the ball before I turn back into a scullery maid."


	6. Chapter 6

***

            She stepped out onto the floor with Ron for a spirited reel. The young redhead had obviously practiced, and Charlotte told him without any compunction that he had done his mother proud. 

            "Now, go ask one of those pretty girls to dance. Enjoy yourself!" Ron blushed pink but made his way over to a knot of giggling students. Her doting mama duties thus accomplished she returned to Severus, who had taken up a position in the corner of the room and was glowering at everything. Charlotte leaned against him and surveyed the scene happily. The Great Hall was a fairyland of sparkling candles and greenery. It was what Celeste would call 'a shocking crush,' but at least some intelligent witch or wizard had the foresight to cast some kind of cooling charm to keep the temperature bearable. All the professors were in attendance, and most of them braved Severus' glare to dance with his young wife. Charlotte did her best to placate Snape but she couldn't resist the chance to play princess. At the height of the evening, the tune she had been waiting for finally began.

            "It's a waltz, Severus," she said, tugging at his sleeve, "come on!" He gave a long suffering sigh but allowed himself to be dragged on to the floor. One strong hand curved around her waist and the other took her hand. She had to resist the urge to draw in close to him, but as she recalled, a decorous distance was expected to be kept when waltzing. She was close enough to smell him, to feel the heat of his body; she supposed that was enough for a dance. He was good, directing her effortlessly around the floor. Perhaps their Hogwarts library still had Magical Maneuvers on its shelves, she could get into the habit of waltzing.  

            On the sidelines, Celeste turned to Mr. Evans who stood beside her. "Your guardian and his wife make a wonderful couple."

            Ron had been watching Charlotte and Snape move around the floor carefully. At last he turned to Celeste with a resigned expression, "Yes, I suppose they do." The girl regarded him with a polite but confused smile and moved away. 

A shrill scream brought the activity of the ball to an abrupt halt. The room was suddenly twice as crowded as, if by some silent signal, an army of men began removing invisibility cloaks. Charlotte had only just noticed that some of the men carried muskets when the first shot was fired. With self-preservation reflexes honed from many years working with Voldemort, Snape grabbed Charlotte and dived behind a low sofa near the wall. The piece did not afford much protection, but it did keep them out of sight. Peering around the arm of the sofa, Charlotte saw with relief that Ron had found similar shelter. The formerly invisible army was the only ones who remained on the dance floor, everyone else having found cover or been the unfortunate recipient of a stray bullet. The firing stopped and the crowd parted to reveal a slender man in wizard's robes. He was perhaps 40 with blond hair, and patrician features. 

"Good evening to you all," he began with a smile. "I do apologize for intruding upon your evening, but I am afraid it was unavoidable. You see, for far too long, Hogwarts has been a haven for the most liberal ideas about wizards and Muggles. That ends tonight, and it is only fitting that some of the most noted figures in the wizarding world bear witness to the transfer of leadership at the school. Fear not, for this is only the beginning." He surveyed the scene, enjoying the frightened silence. "The men you see before you recently perpetrated several attacks on Muggle factories. It is not widely known that a number of wizards contributed to the success of those attacks." He chuckled at the startled gasps that followed. "Yes, we chose to involve ourselves in the lives of Muggles, to draw arms against them. In turn, our compatriots have agreed to join our fight. These guns will kill wizards as easily and surely as they kill Muggles. If you cede Hogwarts to me without complaint, I should not have to rely heavily upon their use." 

For a moment no one breathed. Then, in a clear voice, someone shouted, "_Petrificus__ Totalus!"  Heads whipped around to see Nathaniel Seon standing on a sofa, wand in hand. The blond wizard managed to doge the spell, and one of his Muggle compatriots fired a counter assault.  _

"_Immobulus__!" The bullets suddenly stopped and hovered inches from Seon's chest, as though they were suspended in gelatin. Charlotte stood behind her chair, looking nearly as stunned as everyone else. The bravery of the Divination Professor and the American spurred the rest of the company into action, and the battle for Hogwarts began. It appeared that many of the Muggles had been given very little information on what magic was actually like, so once they were face to face with it, they were confused and frightened making them relatively easy to overpower. In their fear they fired their guns indiscriminately, just hoping to keep the magic users away from them. Charlotte managed to stupefy one who had run out of shot. She grabbed his gun and ran to where Seon and the wizard mastermind were trading hexes. Coming from behind, she swung the butt of the gun into the blond man's head and he crumpled to the ground. _

"I don't believe that is part of the accepted rules of wizard combat," Nathaniel said breathlessly, performing a full body bind on the fallen wizard. "Not that I am complaining, mind you," he amended hastily, seeing her face. 

"You're welcome," she replied, moving back into the fray.

At last, the final Muggle was stunned into unconsciousness and the exhausted victors stepped back to survey the damage. Their beloved Great Hall was pocked with shot holes and burnt spots where errant spells had met their end. More than a few bodies from both sides littered the floor, in addition to the stupefied and bound Muggles at the center of it all. Madam Nostra was making the rounds to the injured and Professor Fitzhugh had summoned a team of Aurors by Floo. Charlotte, Snape and Ron stood slightly apart from the other witches and wizards. They had sustained little damage, a bloody nose for Ron and a set of bruised knuckles for Charlotte. A stricken cry from the head of the room made them all look up. From behind an overturned chair, Headmaster Torht stood up, cradling a limp figure.

"Phillida!" he cried, and Madam Nostra ran to his side. She examined the figure briefly and shook her head sadly.

"Oh no," breathed Charlotte, stepping towards them, "oh no!" The lifeless form in the Headmaster's arms was Celeste. She had been shot through the chest, and blood had seeped through her rose pink robes. Charlotte felt ill, her knees buckled. Two pairs of strong hands steadied her and kept her from falling over. Without a word, Ron and Severus led her from the Hall.

***

They had gone to her rooms. She stood with her face buried in Snape's chest, one of his hands stroking her hair. She knew Ron was nearby, but she didn't care.

"I'll just make some tea, shall I?" the boy said quietly, sounding very much like his mother. Charlotte stared woodenly into Severus's shoulder. Her grief manifested itself in physical pain, but tears would not come. She let herself be held, unable to close her eyes for fear of seeing her friend's broken body again. To have met the inspiration for her Celeste, gotten to know her and then see her die such a stupid death, it was almost unbearable. Severus suddenly hissed in pain, startling Charlotte from her mournful reverie. His left arm had stiffened in its place around her waist. She placed one trembling hand on his forearm and could feel the heat of the awakened Dark Mark through his sleeve. Their eyes met and she swallowed hard.

"Ron," she began, never taking her eyes from Severus, "I need you to go to the classroom and collect all the things we brought with us and dispose of any potions materials up there. Then go to your room and Professor Snape's room and collect any remaining items. Meet us back here as quickly as possible." Confused, Ron put down the steaming kettle and did as she asked.

"We haven't much time," she said briskly, disengaging herself from Severus. "I'll tell the Headmaster."

"Charlotte-" his mouth was a thin line.

She shook her head, "we have to take this chance, Severus. You can't ignore his summons and we can't create the potion to go home without you. Can you transfigure some appropriate robes from what you have here?" He nodded and she turned to go.

"The invisibility cloaks from the Hall should provide cover for you and Mr. Weasley."

"I'll get them." There was something else, and she waited at the door.

"I love you Charlotte."

She gave him a lopsided smile, "I love you Severus."

Charlotte found the Headmaster in his office, his head cradled in his hands. "I'm sorry to disturb you sir," she began, "but we have found a way of returning to our own time that must be taken advantage of immediately." Torht nodded slowly, not really hearing her. "I wanted to thank you for the hospitality you've shown us, I'm sorry we must part under such circumstances." She hesitated a moment and then added, "I hope you will have Celeste's portrait finished, I think it's what she would have wanted." She gave him a sad smile, a curtsey and then left.

The Great Hall was dark when she returned. The bodies had all been removed but the room was still in disarray. Thankfully the invisibility cloaks that the Muggles had used had only been folded and set on a table. Charlotte picked up two and was preparing to leave when a sharp voice said,

"What are you doing?" She turned around slowly to see Professor Seon with his wand leveled.

"I need – I just need them," she finished lamely. Furrowing her brow, she asked, "Why are you pointing that thing at me? I saved your life twice tonight!"

Nathaniel slowly lowered his wand. "The Sight told me there was something different about you three, but I cannot figure it out." He paused, "What use have you for those cloaks?"

"It's kind of complicated. We're going home."

"Where is home?"

Charlotte sighed. "It's not a question of where, it's when. We are from the Hogwarts of the future." At his incredulous look she held out her hand. "You know it's true, that's why we're different." He took her hand and studied her face closely. Whatever he found there seemed to satisfy him. "There isn't really time to explain more, we've got to leave."

"Before you go, can you tell me what the future is like?"

"I can't tell you anything specific, but there's a war coming and it isn't going to be pretty. With a little bit of luck the world will be a better place when it's done." She shrugged. "It was a pleasure meeting you Professor."

Back again to her room, where Ron was shrinking down all their things. Snape took the cloaks from Charlotte and examined them. "These will suffice. Mr. Weasley, I believe you have made use of an invisibility cloak before?" Ron flushed at the professors' sneer and merely nodded. "We must hurry." Snape led them at speed through the castle and the grounds, stopping abruptly once they had reached the end of the wards that protected the school. "Make sure your hands are covered by the cloak when you take hold of me," Snape said, drawing up the hood on his robe so that his face was obscured.

"Where are we going?" asked Ron, "I don't understand!"

"Ron, Professor Snape is a spy for Dumbledore, a double agent working against Voldemort. Somehow the Death Eater summons has traveled through time and space to find him. You and I are going to hitch a ride in hopes of returning to our own time. We have to stay very still during the meeting and not attract any attention. Once the other Death Eaters have left we will continue back to Hogwarts. I know it sounds dangerous, but it's a shot we have to take. You understand, right?" Ron eyed Severus warily, but nodded. The younger two cloaked themselves and took positions on either side of Snape. 

Charlotte took the potions master's left hand and yelped. "Severus! Your ring!" The platinum band still adorned his finger. He hastily removed it and handed it to her.

"I trust you will keep this some place safe." She nodded, suddenly shaking with the thought of the Dark Lord's reaction if the ring had been seen. "Prepare yourselves," he said, taking their hands. The three each unconsciously held their breath, and then they were gone.


	7. Chapter 7

It was a long apparition, much longer than she was used to. Her first thought upon arrival was to make sure the cloak was still close around her. Severus dropped their hands instantly and strode away. They were on a grassy mound. Ahead of them was a ring of torches. Charlotte wondered if this was the same meeting spot she had seen before, it certainly looked similar. More black-cloaked figures were making their way up the hill and Charlotte and Ron scrambled for a spot out of the open beside a small bush. They huddled together trying to make as small a shape as possible, never taking their eyes from the cluster of torches. She couldn't even spare a thought to acknowledge they had somehow made it to Voldemort's side, she was too focused on making sure the three of them survived the meeting.

A figure at the top of the circle raised his hands and the mound became still. "My loyal followers. The time is at hand. Even now our dear Lucius is being freed of his prison and returned to us. With our numbers thus renewed we can set our final plan in motion. The days of Muggle-lovers and mudbloods are numbered – and Charlotte Parnell will be one of the first upon the chopping block." Charlotte felt Ron stiffen in surprise beside her, no doubt wondering why Voldemort even knew her name, let alone wanted her dead. "All those who stand in our way shall know the wrath of Lord Voldemort. Serve me faithfully and you will be rewarded, fail me and there is only death." He studied the Death Eaters carefully. "Severus, step forward." Snape did as requested, kneeling before Voldemort and raising the hem of the Dark Lord's robes to his lips. "You were slow to reach us this evening Severus, why?"

"I was not alone when your call came, my lord, it took some time to get away." Snape's voice was calm and he spoke without hesitation. Voldemort seemed to accept this answer, but was not finished with the potions master yet. 

"What news do you bring me of Hogwarts, Severus?"

"Everything is much as it was, my lord. Dumbledore continues to meet with little success convincing the Ministry of your return. Potter and his friends are meddlesome troublemakers and the members of Slytherin house eagerly await their chance to serve you." He really did lie beautifully, Charlotte decided, but would Voldemort believe him?

"Their time will come Severus, I have not forgotten them. Remember Severus; I give you more leniency than I do the others because you are useful to me. See that you remain so. _Crucio__!" Snape fell to the ground writing in silent agony. Voldemort let him suffer for several minutes before ending the spell. "When you are summoned next, my followers, it will be to learn your role in the conquest." And with that, he was gone. The other Death Eaters soon followed suit, not sparing a backward glance for their fallen comrade. Ron kept a tight hold on Charlotte's arm until they were certain everyone was gone. As soon as he let go, she ran to Severus. With Ron's help she pulled the Potions Master to his feet._

"Are you okay?" Charlotte asked, leading him off the mound.

"Fine," he replied tersely. She had seen him far worse, certainly, but it was awful to see him in any kind of pain.

"Can you apparate? I don't think I can do the three of us."

"I can manage. I will see you in Hogsmeade."

Charlotte and Ron arrived in the village in time to Snape collapse to the ground. "I think he's just unconscious," said Ron, checking Snape's pulse.

"_Mobilicorpus__!" at Charlotte's command, the prone figure lifted into the air. "Let's get him to the infirmary – hopefully we'll find Madam Pomfrey there."_

They walked in silence through the town but at last Ron blurted, "Why does You-Know-Who want you dead?"

Charlotte sighed. "Because it was my testimony that got Lucius Malfoy sent to Azkaban." Ron did not appear satisfied with the short answer. "Alright. What I am about to tell you must remain strictly between us. You cannot tell Harry and Hermione and you certainly can't let Severus or any of the other Professors know that I told you. I am not just Muggle-born, I was a Muggle until only a year ago." She summarized the strange events that led her to her current position as Muggle Studies Professor at Hogwarts.

"Bloody Hell! I wish I could have seen you punch that slimy Malfoy in the nose!"

Charlotte laughed, "It was amazingly therapeutic. So you see, I'm fairly high up the Death Eater hit list, after Dumbledore and Harry that is. So I'm at Hogwarts at least until Voldemort is defeated."

"You think we'll win then?"

"I do. It won't be easy, of course, but in the end good will triumph. I have to believe that." She looked down at Severus floating between them.

"You love him, don't you?"

Charlotte smiled and blinked away tears. "I do. That may seem impossible to you, but I do. I just want him to survive the war."

Ron half-smiled at her. "It's not impossible. He's different around you, not the git us students see."

Charlotte grinned, "He can still be a git sometimes, even around me." She stopped short. "But Ron, you can't tell anyone about this – if it were to get back to Voldemort that we were involved—"

He nodded. "I know. Don't worry, I won't tell a soul. No one would believe me anyway!"

"You're a pretty astute young man, Mr. Weasley."

Ron blushed pink. They stopped in front of the castle's main doors and eyed them in trepidation.

"This is it." Charlotte said and pushed the doors open. To their surprise and delight, Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Madam Pomfrey were all waiting inside.

"Oh thank Merlin!" Charlotte exclaimed, hugging the Headmaster.

"Welcome home to you both," said Dumbledore, clearly pleased. "I trust you have an interesting tale to tell."

"Indeed Albus, but first we need to let Poppy see to Severus. We came home by way of Voldemort," she added by way of explanation.  

"It's late. Why don't you return to your dormitory, Mr. Weasley?" said McGonagall.

"If you don't mind Professor, I'd like to go with Professor Parnell and Professor Snape to the infirmary." 

Charlotte smiled at Ron. "I don't mind Minerva, I'd be glad of his company."

"Very well then. I look forward to hearing your story once Professor Snape has recovered." Dumbledore smiled at them over the tops of his half moon spectacles and they parted company.

***

The next morning the trio joined their headmaster for breakfast. Over multiple cups of tea they related the events of the previous weeks up to and including the meeting with Voldemort.

"I have had an owl from Cornelius already," said Dumbledore, pouring Ron a fresh cup. "Lucius has indeed escaped. While this may confirm his allegiances to the Dark Lord, I'm afraid there are still plenty of people with more interest in his money than his politics. He will still be of use to Voldemort." The headmaster's eyes took on their usual twinkle. "As usual you have all performed with the bravery I have come to expect. However, I cannot allow Mr. Weasley to fall behind in his schoolwork." The redhead's face fell. "Go to your common room, Ron. I believe Miss Grainger has been devising a program of instruction since your disappearance." Ron brightened at the thought of seeing his friends again and made a speedy exit.

Once they were alone Albus smiled fondly at the two professors. "And how do you do, my children?"

Charlotte and Severus exchanged a glance. "Glad to be home, certainly, but I've had better days," Charlotte answered with a grimace.

"With your permission, Headmaster, I'd like to continue our research on the potion that made all this possible."

"Certainly, Severus, but do be careful."

"It is also my intent to discuss our departure with certain members of my house," he continued sternly, and Charlotte did not envy Crabbe and Goyle one bit.

Severus had offered to walk with Charlotte to her rooms, but she thought it better to go alone. As she approached the staff corridor, tears began to prick at her eyes.

"Charlotte!" The portrait exclaimed catching sight of her. "I'm so glad you're back! But what's wrong?" she asked, seeing Charlotte's face.

"I'm glad to be back too Celeste. Really glad to see you again."

Celeste sighed. "I'm sorry you had to see – what you did. It couldn't have been easy."

"You knew where I was? And what happened? How?" Charlotte asked, stunned.

"Well, you did meet me, if you recall. Not that I was in the best shape at the time. I believed what everyone else did, you and Snape and Ron were just guests of Headmaster Torht's. When you first arrived at this Hogwarts I didn't put it together, it was a long time ago and I knew you as Mrs. Charlotte Snape, remember. After a while I did guess what might have happened, and when you three disappeared at the same time, I knew for certain. Do you hate me for not telling you?"

"Don't be silly! What would you have said? 'In a few months you're going to get sucked into a cauldron and go back in time where you will meet the original Celeste and then get to see her killed by a wack-job wizard and some Luddites'? I wouldn't have believed you."

"No, probably not."

Charlotte stifled a yawn. "I'm sorry, Celeste, I didn't get much sleep last night, I think I'm going to grab a quick nap. But I'll tell you the full story when I wake up, alright?"

"That's fine. But there is one more thing. Headmaster Torht thought of leaving me unfinished, but what you said helped convince him not to, although he didn't exactly hang me over his desk. After several years, however, he was able to talk to me. I liked to think that I reminded him of all the good things about his daughter, rather than her death." She paused. "He was a good person."

Charlotte nodded. "He was, but you're no slouch yourself."

Charlotte and Severus did not see much of each other during the next few days, each occupied with salvaging classes as the Christmas holidays rapidly approached. Snape spent much of his remaining free time researching the potion while Charlotte ensconced herself in the library or her room with history books. At last the Express pulled out from Hogsmeade station and the school achieved a relative degree of quiet. Charlotte sat in her room one afternoon engrossed in a book when she heard the telltale sound of an arrival by Floo.

"Hey," she said, not looking up. "Did you know that Nathaniel Seon went on to become Headmaster after Torht? And the wizard leader of the Luddite army was one of the first people sent to Azkaban Prison."

"Fascinating," answered Snape dryly. He turned to face the fireplace and was quiet a moment. "At the expense of my other, more pressing, concerns I have given a great deal of thought to our situation. While I cannot presume to know your thoughts on the matter, I believe –" He looked up from his intense study of the mantle to see Charlotte still buried in her book. "Charlotte! Can you at least attempt to pay attention while I'm trying to propose to you?" Charlotte nearly dropped the volume in her hands. She placed the book carefully on a table and turned to face him. Under her intense scrutiny, Severus faltered. "Perhaps it would be easier if you were not listening."

She smiled. "Too late, please continue."

He pulled up another chair and sat in front of her. "For as long as Voldemort is a threat I can only offer a promise. If you were to agree to my request, nothing could change."

Charlotte nodded and took his hand. "I know that. We're still what we are: crafty double agent" she pointed to him, "and troublesome mudblood," she finished, leveling the finger at herself. "But to have that promise is something special, even if we're the only two who know about it. Someday it'll be different, I know it will be."

Severus shook his head. "You and Albus should found a society for deluded optimists."

Charlotte laughed. "No doubt. But if we're going to do this, I don't want to hear any more moping from you. There will be no noble sacrifices on my watch, mister!"

He rolled his eyes but acquiesced. Reaching into the folds of his robes, he pulled out a grey box and handed it to her. "I am not so ill informed on social customs as to come into this empty handed."

Charlotte opened the lid and gasped. Inside was a single square sapphire on a platinum rope chain. "Oh Severus." She held up her hair for him to fasten the piece around her neck, shivering slightly as he placed a kiss on the nape. "You know I'm never going to take this off," she said, surveying her reflection in the mirror.

"That was rather the idea," he replied, kissing her again. She buried herself in his arms, too happy to do more than enjoy the weight of his promise on her heart. A loud sniffle from the direction of the door made them both look up.

"Celeste?" asked Charlotte, concerned.

"I'm sorry," said the portrait, "I'm just so happy for you both." Celeste blew her nose.

The potions master glowered at the entrance. It was obvious to Charlotte that the only way to prevent any disparaging remarks about nosy portraits was by kissing Severus into submission. So she did.

END

_A/N: Well, that's the end of another one. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed and my lead beta, Lockholm. Stay tuned – I'm not done with Charlotte yet! Expect a new story to begin with in the week. If you want to know when it is posted to ff.net, send an email to aquaesulis06@yahoo.com! _


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